Romney defends Huckabee's clemency decision

CNN ^ | Dec 3, 2009 | Emily Sherman

[webheart]

Why defend Huckabee? If you were Romney, wouldn’t you want to keep a three-way race going, rather than going up against Sarah, head-to-head?

[calex59]

The problems occurred post Huckabee? The guy was in prison for 108 years for a reason, so the problems with him started before Huckabee commuted his sentence which allowed him to be paroled which allowed him to continue a life of crime. Washinton state was just the last in a series of crimes committed by this guy, none of which would have occurred if Huckabee hadn't commuted his sentence, against the recommendations of the prosecutor who tried the scum bag for his original crimes. Post Huckabee my a**, of course the problems occurred after Huckabee opened the gates that eventually freed this psychopath from prison, that's the whole point!

[redgirlinabluestate]

It wasn't a defense at all, or tepid at best. He was sure Huck would NOT have made the same decision again (meaning it was wrong) and focused his reply on the victims.

What he actually said at 8:06:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skuGw46VFhU

[redgirlinabluestate]

Romney never pardoned anyone.

[rintense]

Yet he supported the man who did- and the same man who maligned his faith as well as stayed in the race to take votes from Romney.

Romney is a fool.

[redgirlinabluestate]

He didn’t defend him. He said he’s sure Huckabee wouldn’t do it again knowing what he knows now (sadly, Huckabee said just the opposite). He was being gracious. Mitt was quite complimentary of both Huckabee and Palin during the interview. Staying above the fray. A class act.

[Diogenesis]

CharlesWayneCT: "Romney didn’t pardon or commute any sentences. Why Romney felt he had to defend Huckabee is beyond me, especially after Huckabee’s treatment of Romney last year."

Clever nuancing again, Charles.

Do you think Romney has apologized to the Mauck family yet?

[redgirlinabluestate]

Oh please.... Watch the video. If you call that “support” then I’d hate to need you in times of trouble. He was being a gentleman and following Reagan’s 11th commandment. What good would it do to step on Huckabee’s throat right now?

[ColdWater]

Mike commuted his sentence. The Parole board actually let him out.

Huckabee commuted his sentence to a time that made him eligible for IMMEDIATE parole. The board rubber-stamped his parole because, as one board member stated, 'Huckabee wanted him paroled'.

[Tennessee Nana]

Romney defends Huckabee’s clemency decision
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This is too rich...

ROFLMBO

[CharlesWayneCT]

Ah, so they changed the link because they changed the title to more accurately reflect the content of the article.

Still, pretty silly of Romney to take Huckabee at his word.

[rintense]

Didn't stop Huck from going for Romney's throat during the debates, did it?

You do realize RINOs aren't supported on this site, right? Especially your boy Mitt.

[Tennessee Nana]

But why bother to make that statement? Why defend Huckabee? Makes no sense to me.
__________________________________________________

THINK...

Romney got press...

He got his name in the news...

[fish hawk]

plus McCain and you get Larry, Curly, and Moe.

[rintense]

Yeah, unlike NY23 where Romney could have made a stand for conservatism. What a jackass he is.

[CharlesWayneCT]

IF it were more of a defense, I might consider the possibility that Romney is trying to get on Huckabee’s good side, since Huckabee has hinted he won’t be running again, and Huckabee certainly was a problem for Romney last year.

But I don’t think that “taking him at his word” really does that for him. And stepping into this at all seems harmful, especially given that Romney was not at all in favor of pardons and clemencies, which would be a selling point for him, so why obscure that by seeming in any way to defend Huckabee’s use of clemency?

Like I said, just seems odd to me.

[zlala]

If Romney think ‘ol Huck would come to his defense for any reason he's sooo wrong. Makes him look like he's sucking up and for no reason. Another poor move on Romney's part.

[CharlesWayneCT]

There was nothing nuanced about my statement. He never pardoned or granted clemency. That is a simple factual statement.

I know you want to cloud the issue with other issues, in this case apparently your argument that a judge overturning a conviction (or whatever it was that the judge did) is the same as a Governor making a direct decision to grant a person a pardon.

You might as well blame the people of Arkansas for the Washington State killings. After all, if they hadn’t voted for Huckabee, he never would have been able to grant the guy clemency.

[packrat35]

Huckster is also lying about the $16 for failing to mention the assault involved. Clemmons punched her in the head

[CharlesWayneCT]

Note that this is not what happened, and the falsity was so eggregious that CNN, of all people, had to actually CHANGE THE NAME OF THE LINK to make it reflect reality.